The Role Of Plant-Derived Nutrients
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,276,005 and 5,434,122 of the Allor Foundation, common assignee herewith, there are described classes of natural organic herbal or plant-derived high temperature water-extracted products (at approximately at least 100.degree. C.) obtained from Artemesia shrubs or plants and preferably from those of the herbal plant species Artemesia arborescens and Artemesia tridentata and, with somewhat lesser but useful efficaciousness from others. By application of the extracts to the soil or other growing medium, plant growth is promoted and often accelerated (apparently through nutritional boosting of the plant immune system and/or providing anti-microbial action and/or reducing enzymatic nutrient competition or the like), while synergistically also providing repellent features to mites and other insects, and inhibiting fungus and spotting and the like. Preferred ratios are described of Artemesia plant material, preferably dried (though moist plant can be used where desired) of 2-3 ounces per 2-5 gallons of water for the high-temperature extraction in the preparation of the product; and commercially feasible useage ratios of the concentrated water-extract as thus made, ranging from about 1-2 tablespoons of such water-extract to a liter or quart of water, up to about three parts water to one part water- extract for accelerated results.
While the main thrust of the above is for use with living plants, as above generically defined, it is pointed out in the above patents that beneficial anti-microbial results of the water-extract have also been found to be useful for animal and human usage. Molds developed therefrom have also been found to be usefully anti-microbial as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,523, also of the Allor Foundation, having been named Penicillium Rineseum and Allorensis. Additionally, it has been noted that higher-temperature oil extractions of these plants (preferably in mineral oil at about 212.degree. C.) are also beneficial in these various usages; and techniques for assuring the anti-microbial efficacy of such are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,238, also of the Allor Foundation.
Though preferring the particular above-named species of Artemesia plant, it appears that there are at least some common or similar characteristics of Artemesia family species that render them useful in various degrees of efficacy, as described, for example, in The Merck Index, 10.sup.th ed., #8743 (1983); Japan Pharmaceutical Society Chem. Pharm. Bull. 38 (2) pp. 538-540 (1990)--Artemesia princeps--; CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, CRC Press, pp. 65-70, 412, 549 (1985)--Artemesia arbothanium, absenthium, vulgaris, etc.--; and there are also other plants/herbs exuding some of or similar useful extracts as described, for example, in said CRC Handbook, including Rosmarinus officinales, Balsamum, Cinnamomum Camphora, etc., though not apparently with the remarkable efficacy and broad range of the preferred Artemesia arborescens.
It should further be observed, that with such Artemesia species, insect-repellent and fungus-resistant properties, before alluded to, are invariably synergistically imbued upon the treated plants; and, further, the dried or powdered Artemesia plant material also has been found to repel insects even before being subjected to the extraction processes.
Of recent years, agricultural interests have also turned to the control of the release of fertilizer components and nutrients within soil or other growing media by the addition of cation exchange capabilities such as zeolite crystals and the like, bentonite, peat, etc., which also can hold and release water and effect such cationic exchange. Underlying the present invention, is the discovery that synergistic combinations of the Artemesia--derived material organic extracts and other plant and nutrient sources with zeolites have significantly improved such phenomena. To examine this, it is believed helpful, first, to review the effects of zeolites, and the like.
Zeolite Cation--Exchange Soil Additives
It has been reported that Japanese farmers have attained significant crop production improvements when zeolites were added to coarse fertilized soils, and that experiments at the Department of Agronomy at Colorado State University have led to the conclusion that relatively high application rates of zeolites are required to restrict leaching losses of NH.sub.4.sup.+, as from fertilizer in the soil, thereby reducing the loss of nitrogen therefrom and also neutralizing low pH soils. ("Agronomic and Horticultural Uses of Zeolites: A Review", K. A. Barbarick and H. J. Pirila, Zeo Agriculture and Aquaculture, edited by Wilson G. Pond and Frederick A. Mumpton, West View Press, Boulder, Colo., 1984 (International Committee on Natural Zeolites), pp. 93-103; and pp. 113-122, "Use Of Clinoptilolite In Combination With Nitrogen Fertilization To Increase Plant Growth", H. J. Pirela et al; and pp. 263-271, "Application Of Clinoptilolite To Soil Amended With Municipal Sewerage Sludge", M. A. Wilson et al; and references cited in these papers.
Zeolites are aluminosilicates having three-dimensional crystal framework structures of (SiAl)0.sub.4 --tetrahedra which have pores filled with water molecules and exchangeable cations. Up until the present, however, quite mixed results have been obtained by experimenters testing the use of zeolites, such as clinoptilolite which has been reported as having a high affinity and selectivity for NH.sub.4.sup.+, and particularly zeolites having plant fertilizing nutrients such as K.sup.+ or with NH.sub.4.sup.+ --containing fertilizer components as soil additives or amendments to achieve an ultimate slow-release fertilization; again, with very mixed results. Some success with the use of zeolite/phosphate rock as an exchange medium in the fertilizer system in slowing the release of P in soil growing sorghum--sudangrass has been reported ("Exchange Fertilizer Phosphate Rock plus Ammonium Zeolite Effects on Sorghum--Sudangrass", K. A. Barbarick et al, Soil Sci. Soc. AM. J., 54: pp. 911-916 (1990); also the report of Barbarick et al published by the Department of Agronomy and Agricultural Experiment Station, Colorado State University, "Response of Sorghum--Sudangrass in Soils Amended With Phosphate Rock and NH.sub.4 --Exchanged Zeolite (clinoptilolite)"; and "Influence of NH.sub.4 --Exchanged Clinoptilolite On Nutrient Concentrations In Sorghum--Sudangrass", D. D. Eberl, K. A. Barbarick and T. M. Lai, Natural Zeolites '93 edited by Douglas W. Ming and Frederick A. Mumpton, International Committee on Natural Zeolites, pp. 491-504, 1995). In the last-named article, increases in nutrient uptake in the plant matter were reported with the addition of NH.sub.4 -- clinoptilolite.
Relatively recently, particularly for purposes of reducing the amount and cost of carrying in space plant growing media and in particular water, NASA has reported that particular zeolite crystals have been found to be useful as a soil additive and/or substitute and/or as an aid to enabling lesser water and fertilizer component requirements, apparently as a result of the zeolite loosely bonded ion-exchange/energy ("fuel")--exchange mechanisms. While such zeolite formulation applications are also useful for water or other purifications and for other environmental clean-up and related purposes, in the case of plant growth applications, only those zeolite formulations that do not result in the production of sodium appear to be suitable.
In the JSC Research and Technology 1993 Annual Report (NASA TM104788), a synthetic soil or substrate for plants (for testing on shuttle flights) is reported, called "zeoponic plant growth substrates," wherein hydrated zeolite crystals containing loosely bonded ions such as K.sup.+, Ca.sup.++, Mg.sup.++, etc. and combined with calcium phosphate material matrix (apatite), slowly release growth nutrient elements (P,S,Zn,Cu, etc. and the above listed K, Ca and Mg, etc.) into the soil or soil solution for plant absorption or up-take.
Underlying the present invention is the discovery of a most useful synergism attainable by appropriate combination of the types of all-natural herb/plant extract nutrients and growth-promoting products earlier-described, and as distinguished from chemical additives, with zeolite crystalline formulations in a highly compatible and chemically non-reactive manner, not only for healthy plant growth improvement, but for reduced water and/or plant food or fertilizing requirements, and also for poor, dry or arid soils. The before-described anti-microbial and mite or insect and fungus-resistant attributes, moreover, have been found to be maintained in the zeolite additive combination, also useful for applications such as for water and other purifications or treatments and other environmental clean-up usages, as before mentioned.